A woman came with an alabaster jar of pure and expensive fragrant oil of nard. She broke the jar and poured it on His head. But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this fragrant oil been wasted? For this oil might have been sold for more than 300 denari and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her. Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for Me. You always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have Me.” — Mark 14:3–7
We can all recall a time in our coaching careers when things were so good we didn’t want them to end. We wanted that winning feeling to last for days, but it was soon gone. Jesus had similar days, and we read about one of them in the text above.
When we focus on the words, “You always have the poor with you…but you do not always have Me,” and remember the great moments in our careers, we need to appreciate how precious those feelings and memories are. We need to adopt Jesus’ philosophy and drain every drop of good from them. When victories arrive, we need to stay there, savor the moments, and grasp their significance. The necessary, mundane things of life are always there, but moments like these are fleeting and few. Let’s recognize them and enjoy them to the fullest. If we compete well today, we may just create such a moment.
1. Take a moment to recall a time in your coaching career when things were so good that you didn’t want them to end.
2. When was it?
3. How can you be sure to maximize the benefits of the next great victory?
Extra Reading: Psalm 20:1–5; Proverbs 20:30–31; 1 John 5:1–5
Father, enable me to lead my team to recognize and to value the special moments in my sport. Help me revel in those moments as I sense Your presence and pleasure. Amen.
